Giants-Browns staff picks: BBV writers are all-in … on the Browns

The BBV staff stays unanimous, this time picking the Giants’ opponent

The New York Giants enter what likely is a crucial Week 3 as they get set to take on the Cleveland Browns on the road.

The Giants carry an 0-2 record and are fighting to keep their season from snowballing before Halloween. It was widely believed that they would need to get off to a hot start for some breathing room and traction heading into a difficult six-game stretch from late September to November. Instead, the Giants dropped the first two games of the season and have struggled with issues in all phases of the game.

The Big Blue View staff may not have been completely sold on the Giants following training camp and preseason, but we were confident enough in them to be unanimous in picking the Giants to win against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders.

It’s safe to say that our confidence has wilted in the face of harsh reality.

Tony DelGenio

The Browns have not performed at a level consistent with the talent they have on both sides of the ball. This is a winnable game for the Giants. I don’t think they’re going to win it, though. It will be hard for the Giants to move the ball against a Browns defense that has Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith rushing the passer (and old friend Dalvin Tomlinson), plus a good linebacker in JOK and a strong secondary. At least they have the chance to kick field goals this week. On defense, the concern is that we’ll get a replay of the Washington game: The Browns running at will against a Giants D that doesn’t maintain gap discipline, which is how they beat Jacksonville last Sunday and how the Giants lost to Washington. I do think the Giants’ secondary can have some success against the Browns’ receivers, but if soft coverage and little pass rush continue, it won’t matter much. Too much to correct in one week. Browns, not in a rout but not in a squeaker, either.

Pick: Browns

Chris Pflum

The Giants definitely have a path to victory.

Browns’ offensive tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin are both dealing with injuries, as is reserve tackle Dawand Jones. That could compromise the Browns’ pass protection if their tackles are limited or they’re forced to scratch the bottom of their depth chart. Amari Cooper is playing some of the worst football of his career, and Elijah Moore hasn’t been much better. Deshaun Watson is in more legal trouble and hasn’t been the quarterback the Browns thought they were getting once upon a time.

Likewise, Myles Garrett is dealing with a foot injury and isn’t quite his usual game-wrecking self.

Even so, the Browns defense has been much better than what the Giants saw last week. It was actually shocking to see just how bad the Commanders’ passing defense has been compared to the rest of the NFL. They’re giving up an EPA/play of +0.512 on passes (positive is bad for defensive EPA), 0.149 EPA/play worse than the 31st ranked pass defense. To put that in perspective, Derek Carr is averaging a passing EPA of +0.520 in an offense that’s averaging 45.5 points per game.

These next two games should tell us a lot about the 2024 Giants.

But all that aside, I can’t pick the Giants to win a game after the first two games. I’m back to my old rule of not picking the Giants to win a game until they show that they can consistently go out and win a game.

Pick: Browns

Nick Falato

The Giants are traveling to Cleveland for their second consecutive road game after a brutal loss in Washington. The Giants should at least have a kicker for this game, and I expect the Giants’ defense to be improved against DeShaun Watson and the Browns offense. Cleveland’s offense ranks 28th in yards per game and 26th in passing yards per game with an average of 154.4. They were blown out by Dallas and narrowly defeated a Jacksonville team who, as Trevor Lawrence stated, “sucks” right now. This, somehow, is a winnable game for the Giants. Still, the run-heavy approach of Kevin Stefanski and the Brown’s offense could be too much for the current Giant’s defense to handle, and the Giants’ offense should have their hands full with that defense—browns in a low-scoring affair.

Pick: Browns

David Hartman

The Giants are on the road for the second consecutive week, and they’ll have to pick themselves up off the mat after blowing a game in Washington that they should have won (and likely would have won if they had a kicker available). The Dawg Pound isn’t the easiest place to play, and the Browns were tough at home last season. That’s especially true of their excellent defense.

Cleveland sits at 1-1 but hasn’t been overly impressive in the early going. Like the Giants, their offense has struggled to sustain drives and score points. Also like the Giants, they have yet to break 20 points in a game, and their very expensive QB is underperforming. They’re also dealing with multiple injuries along the offensive and defensive lines, and their best corner (Denzel Ward) only played 11 snaps last week as he works through a shoulder injury. And of course Nick Chubb is on IR. The Giants might be catching the Browns at a good time, and they definitely have a chance in this game.

I expect a low-scoring, ugly game. Daniel Jones is locked in on Malik Nabers (his 67% target share last week was the highest in the NFL in over a decade, minimum 15 pass attempts) and I’m guessing that the Browns will try to take him away if they can. They’ll also bring the heat and if they can force some mistakes from Jones, it could be a long day.

Pick: Browns

James Hickey

Giants are in prove it mode when it comes to picks no matter the opponent. Until they can prove to me they can win, I will not pick them.

Let’s be honest, the New York Football Giants are failing at playing complimentary football right now—their defense plays well, their offense stinks; their offense moves the ball, the defense can’t get off the field. And then things like your kicker getting injured on the first play of the game on a run getting called back because of a penalty happen to bad teams.

All that being said, I so think this is a winnable game. The Giants offensive line is improved and gives the them a chance to be functional. And the Browns offense was described as “QB Deshaun Watson played horribly in Week 1 and adequate in Week 2, the offensive line has not been good, pass catchers have dropped too many passes and a few play calls from Kevin Stefanski were questionable” by SB sister site Dawgs By Nature.

But I can not pick the Giants on the road until they show me they know how to win a game because all they have shown me this year is that they know how to lose

Pick: Browns

Valentine’s View

I cannot, in good conscience, pick the Giants to win this game. I think they can. I think they might. But, I know I am not picking them to win.

I need to see the Giants defense play competent football first. I need to see the offense play well against a quality defense. I need to see the Giants play a game where they stay out of their own way.

I just can’t be confident I am going to see any of that on Sunday.

Pick: Browns